The San Bernardino County Office of the Public Defender offers professional careers to skilled investigators who possess a desire to support litigation that protects constitutional rights.

While working under the direction of Deputy Public Defenders, Public Defender Investigators conduct a full range of investigations over a wide variety of cases (misdemeanors, felonies, juveniles, civil commitment, and post-conviction modifications and violations) with varying degrees of complexity.

Investigators support litigation in the following ways:

In consultation with Deputy Public Defenders, plan and conduct investigations at crime scenes and other case-related field locations.

Photograph, document, and collect evidence.

Prepare maps, diagrams, and other exhibits for use in the courtroom.

Identify, locate, and interview witnesses.

Serve subpoenas for witnesses' appearances and document retrievals.

Testify in court and non-judicial proceedings.

Write detailed reports of observations and interviews.

For those who desire a career as an investigator but do not have the requisite knowledge and skills, you may be interested in a Public Defender Investigator Trainee position. Trainees work under the direction of an experienced investigator while receiving the knowledge and skills that are necessary for promoting to Public Defender Investigator.

Public Defender Investigative Technicians assist investigators with photographing and diagraming crime scenes and case-related locations and also assist with document retrievals. Investigative technicians also assist attorneys with PowerPoint presentations, courtroom exhibits, and re-enactments.

To support the investigative tasks, the department provides all staff with state-of-the-art resources and equipment, such as computers, iPads, smartphones, video and digital cameras, and digital voice recorders.